


another frame of reference (distorted echoes running down the hall)

by Gemini_Baby



Series: January Prompt Event 2021 [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Dick Grayson and Jason Todd are Siblings, Discussion of Respecting Boundaries and Privacy, Eavesdropping, Gen, Misunderstandings, Respecting Boundaries and Privacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemini_Baby/pseuds/Gemini_Baby
Summary: Dick visits Jason when he's with the outlaws - and it is Artemis who misunderstands the conversation she listens in on. It all comes to a head, when Artemis wants to stand up for Jason...even though she was the one who disregarded boundaries.
Relationships: Artemis of Bana-Mighdall & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd
Series: January Prompt Event 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2087832
Comments: 3
Kudos: 88
Collections: Bat Family 18+ Discord Server January Prompt Event





	another frame of reference (distorted echoes running down the hall)

**Author's Note:**

> Written using the prompt, “The worst part is you didn't even notice.” for the January Prompt Event, organized by the Bat Family 18+ server

There were many ways he might have thought he would get to spend his afternoon. Artemis being all crossed and angry was not any of them. And certainly not because Dick has just left. Artemis liked him last time. What is it with her being frowning and disapproving of him having his brother over, right now?

He tries to tune out most of it. But it gets difficult by the second. Artemis is clearly trying to get him to respond. But he doesn’t know how to.

But then some of the things get said next which stop Jason from maintaining his silence any longer.

“Your brother made jokes about you.”

“Come on, Arty. It’s fine.”

“I don’t think it is.”

“He is my brother. The jokes he made are the ones I am comfortable with. And yeah, he joked about me. But he was talking with me when he did that. He did not make me a show for an audience.” Jason says as he turns his head towards where Artemis is standing. He can’t read her expression right now. To say that it might be a concern for Jason...well, Jason is not going to push his luck. Not many people want to concern themselves with him and he is fine with that. What he doesn’t understand is Artemis’ strange attitude currently showing...concern, when she has repeatedly said in the past that she does not have an ounce of it for Jason. She is not the one with the right to be angry here. Not right now. “ _ You _ were eavesdropping on a private conversation.”

“Jason”, she stares at him exasperated.

“What? Is there something on my face that you keep staring at?”

“Seriously? You don’t even know?!” She says and sounds genuinely surprised.

She finds a mirror and walks towards him, sitting on the couch beside him. But she keeps a distance and Jason is glad for that.

His mood is sour now after it had been good when Dick had visited. It was good until Dick stayed and even when he left. And now here he is. With his mood sour and him feeling bitter. He really doesn’t want to hear anything against Dick right now. Not even when it might be coming with good intentions.

Okay, he knows he sometimes says things about Dick too. But  _ to  _ Dick. He doesn’t want anyone else to talk about Dick like that. Not even if it is a friend of his. Dick is  _ his brother. _ Even if Jason might not admit it out loud. Last time he voiced a relation out loud, he got blown to pieces and suffocated to death. So yeah. No. He is not going to do that. Not yet, at least. Maybe one day…

He takes the mirror from Artemis, eager to get this over with. What greets him is an amusing reflection of his. Cream of the cake they ate is on his face; on his cheek, nose and lips and has made a moustache too. Not unlike his Rason Rodd persona. Jason snorts. 

“The worst part is you didn't even notice.”

Jason smiles in reply. He reaches for the tissues he keeps with him.

“You know he took your photo. Or even photos.”

“He asked me before taking them. And he only did when I said ‘yes’ to him.”

“Wait...did you know about…”, she gestures towards Jason’s face which he is currently tapping with a tissue trying to clean it.

“I had sort of an idea”, he replies. It is not a lie.

Dick and Jason...they don’t bond in the way that anyone taking a look at them or them interacting, can say that they are bonding. But what do others know?

They don’t bond, spend time in a way that any outsider could even imagine them getting along. But… they are them. They bond. They spend time together. They even get along on many occasions. They just don’t do it announcing it every time.

They bond when Dick reads to Jason when he is injured and can’t sleep because the pit has rendered the power of painkillers useless.

They bond when Jason sometimes takes Dick with him to warehouses earlier to steal and hide the tires of the vehicles the criminals at the bust they are going to do that night are going to use to run away. They bond when they make it a competition. Whoever gets more tires gets a burger later from the person who loses. 

They bond when Dick plays a movie and then falls asleep leaning on Jason instead. Jason also joins him. They have never watched the movie for more than half an hour yet. Yet, movie night is something Jason looks forward to.

There are other instances too. But Jason doesn’t want to get lost in remembering them right now. Because he really needs to have this conversation about boundaries.

Boundaries.

He  _ has _ a problem with anyone taking his picture; especially without his permission. It makes him uncomfortable. He had a conversation with Dick in the past, who did not laugh. But instead respected his wish. Did not disregard what he said and what he asked.

So Dick does capture some of his photos, sometimes. But only after he gets the permission to. One day he got to see the collection of his photos in Dick’s phone. His brother himself had shown them to him. He was surprised. None of the photos Dick had of Jason was worth photo taking. Jason looked messy in all of them. Well, messier. Semantics. Pragmatics. Whatever.

All the photos were some sort of silly. One of them was Jason performing a soliloquy dressed in a bedsheet. Not his most refined moment...but still a fun one. Another one was of Jason having been tackled by the Batcow. One had only his eyes frowning at the camera and his curls visible, the rest of him was hidden under Titus, Ace, Alfred the Cat and Goliath’s wing. One had Jason half dozing, half-reading a book with his face trapped between the pages. 

Jason had a thought that Dick might have captured them to send them to others. But Dick had promised not to show to anyone else when Jason had asked. So he shook his head and asked Dick instead.

The answer he got was not one he was expecting but it filled him with warmth.

“Everyone takes the pictures of the ‘picture-perfect moments’, Jay.”

“So?”

“I know these are stupid. But it is sort of an ‘I love you even when you are sometimes being stupid or appear messy’.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Sometimes I take them out and look at them. They make me smile.” Dick had admitted and was not looking at Jason. He had seemed hesitant. Maybe he thought Jason was going to be angry.

Him? Making Dick smile? Well...maybe not actively. But still.

“Thanks, Dick.”

“Uh, what?”

“They are stupid. And they are making me laugh.”

“Really?”

“Hey, I can laugh at myself.”

“Well...you did not wear that horrendous helmet back then without having that sort of courage.”

“Ouch.”

Dick chuckled.

“I can delete them if you want me to.”

“Nah. Just don’t send it or show it to anyone else.”

“Won’t.”

“You still owe me the burger treat.”

“I won that competition!”

“Nope, I did!”

“You did not. You are just saying it to get a burger from me. ...Wait, you can just tell me that you want to go to the diner with me and my treat, you know?”

“I didn’t.”

“Jay! Alright. Come on. Let’s get your burger. And I am getting pizza. Your treat.”

  
  


Jason had needed access to some files. He did not have access to them. He could try and hack them. Or he could just have asked Dick. He did that later and Dick gave him access. He had been surprised to hear from Jason that he wanted Dick to give him access.

But Jason’s grumble of “You ask me too before you do something that involves me. So I thought I could try to do the same?”

The air in the room had shifted and Jason had felt lighter then. 

It was their thing then. Dick asked Jason before he wanted to take his photo. Jason asked Dick for access when he needed to use Dick’s systems.

  
  
  


“What is it, Jason?” Artemis asks, voice bringing Jason back to present.

“You know you intruded.”

“I was looking out for you.”

“You don’t have to do that for me.”

“I am your teammate.”

“Teammate or no teammate. No breaching boundaries.”

“Really Jason?”

“Yes. I am capable of  _ looking out  _ for myself. you don’t have to do that. Unless we are out in the field and against an enemy. Not when it is my brother. And certainly not when we are having a conversation in  _ my _ room.”

“Listen I know you are uncomfortable with a lot of things. I misunderstood the earlier situation. I was not aware that you were okay with your brother and all those things. I misunderstood and overstepped my boundaries and for that, I apologize.”

“You are not going to fight?”

“Why would I fight? I am able to admit my mistakes. And you respect my boundaries. I should have respected yours too.”

“I apologize for my behaviour too.”

“You don’t have to. It’s me who should -”

Jason shakes his head. “Nah. It’s my fault too. I should not have reacted that way.”

“Which way? When my actions prompted you to react? Yours was the reaction. But it was forced by  _ my _ actions.”

“So..we good?”

“We are still co-parenting the big guy and teammates. Friends if you still want to be.”

“Yes.”

“You up for some tea.”

“I am up for cookies too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comments, bookmarks and user subscriptions are always welcome and appreciated <3


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